


Enter The Dragon

by hellpenguin



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-05
Updated: 2009-08-05
Packaged: 2017-10-08 05:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/73161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellpenguin/pseuds/hellpenguin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin gets the call at 4am.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Enter The Dragon

  
Merlin gets the call at 4 am.

"_Merlin_," the deep mysterious voice drawls over the phone. "_Merlin_..."

"Hmm? What? Who is this? Do you know what time-"

_"...Merlin..."_

"Yes, that's me. Look, it's ridiculously early-"

"We need to talk, Merlin. Come to the Caves."

"Listen, I don't know who this is-"

"A friend. The Caves. Ten minutes." And the line goes dead.

Merlin considers that it may be a serial killer or psycho stalker or perhaps an assassin. And then he realizes he's not exactly the prince of England and why would anyone want to kill him? So he throws on clothes in the dark of his room and hightails it to The Caves.

The Caves is actually not a series of caves, but the name of a nightclub in the bad part of town. Merlin has only ever been there once, and it's an experience he'd rather not repeat.

Tonight (or this morning, depends on you point of view), The Caves is practically empty. Most of the hardcore partiers left at two in the morning, drunk, vomiting out of taxi windows or sleazing off to strangers' beds. The bouncers at the door are half-asleep so it's easy just to slip in.

Inside, the colored lights weave lonely to the beat of music nobody is dancing to, and there's actually a frazzled grey-haired guy in a brown uniform sweeping up detritus. He peers at Merlin suspiciously (possibly because he's not half-naked, intoxicated, nor dressed appropriately.)

"Hi, I'm looking for..." He's not sure how to finish that. _A stranger who called me ten minutes ago_ sounds a little crazy.

_"Merlin."_ The voice comes from behind a curtain to his right. The janitor hastily walks away, as if a certain part of the room far away holds more garbage than this one.

Merlin pulls aside the drapes to find a very wizened old man with an enormous dragon tattoo covering every visible patch of skin from his ankle to his face. It's probably the light (or the fact he's had less than three hours of sleep), but Merlin thinks he sees actual scales poking through the ink on some of the tattoo.

"Er, hi?"

The man actually grins. It's not the most reassuring smile.

"Merlin, we meet at last. I'm known around here as The Great Dragon."

"I can, um, see why." He makes an abortive gesture to the tattoo but suddenly feels like perhaps it's a prison tattoo and this man is going to eat him alive. So he quickly lowers his hand and the awkwardness is palpable for a few moments.

"Do you have, um, a nickname? GD? Maybe? Perhaps?"

The Great Dragon stares at him, unblinkingly.

"No? I guess GD sort of...sounds...like a venereal...disease...yeah." Merlin trails off into silence and clears his throat. "So, The Great Dragon it is. Um, so, yeah, how did you get my number? Exactly?"

"There are many ways to find someone, Merlin, you just have to know how to see."


End file.
